The Alone Champion
by StarryNight173
Summary: Dina has escaped her amnesiac past and hateful foster parents. Now she and her foster brother Todd are off to the Caliosteo Islands, in hope for a new beginning and peaceful lives. But when more and more mysterious upcomings threaten the island, Dina's life goes out of hand. And gets blows around like the breeze. What has happened?
1. Chapter 1: Jail Bars

**Me: Hello yellow! The name's StarryNight173! This is my fossil fighters champions story! You may want to read this with the fossil fighters one, and if you're reading after I finished both, then one at a time I guess. It makes more sense together! ^ ^ **

**Dina: Can I come in now?**

**Me: YEZ YEZ YEZ PLEAASE! -phew! Awkward moment escaped...- OK that's Dina, the main character of this story. Pronounced dee-nuh if you'd please. So... we begin?**

**I want to thank ShayminMarx for inspiring me to write this. It's because of them and a few other things I even worked up the nerve to get a Fanfiction account. **

**I do not own Fossil Fighters! But I do own my Star Wolves. x3 Which happen to be the prologue.**

The Alone Champion

Chapter one: Jail Bars

It had been a normal stroll. In the lands of stars and purple-tinged environments of more stars, where they lived. Quadrupled animals of vibrant colors and thick fur pelts. Those that knew no better but saw them called these mystical creatures wolves, which angered them. For these immortals were called Star Wolves. And they live in space; grounds tinged with purple and specks of stars littered around.

At that moment, three of these rumored Star Wolves were taking a normal and particularly peaceful stroll through their lands. Like most Star Wolves, they were well over 1,000 years old, but weren't as old as the beginning of time. Most Star Wolves from that age had already been killed or dispersed by the Fates. Which should never, never be disrupted. Ever.

The Star Wolves were next to each other, in the middle of a slow run. The one to the right had midnight blue fur with yellow speckles, and gleaming black eyes. Like hard obsidian. A gem that matched the wolf's eyes and was shaped to look like a crescent wrapped around her neck. The one in the middle was a shady green and spots of brown, with very light green eyes. The gem around his neck was shaped like a leaf, and dappled light green with small bits of brown. Like the fur, also. The final one was red. He had hard, orange eyes to match his pendulum, which was shaped as a comet.

The wolves trotted in three different defined paces to an edge. The dark green, purple-tinged, star speckled ground ended at a point, which overlooked the galaxy. A world of deep purple and specks of light yellow-ice white stars. The midnight blue female stared up. "You were right for once, Fierce," She muttered at the sky with a cooling voice. "There really is a Moonlit Peak."

The leafy green and brown wolf spoke up. "Yeah, Fierce. I only thought it was a myth..." His calming voice zoned out. The wolf glanced at his female partner. "Shouldn't we head back now then, Midi?" He glanced at Midi's midnight fur in question.

"Settle down, Forest!" The red one, assumable to be Fierce, stepped towards his friends. His booming voice called out to the world. "I don't think Chieftain will notice our absence. We're all the way out at Moonlit Peak!" He declared boldly, orange eyes sparkling.

"But..." Midi muttered to herself. "He said Stella ran here before she disappeared. Doesn't that mean a monster is lurking out here?" her black obsidian eyes drawled out over the landscape.

"That was only told to keep us younger pups away!" Fierce growled. "Stella's fine. Chieftain's angry about his daughter disappearing like that! I'm sure that Star Wolf's fine." He almost sounded as if he was trying to convince himself more than his friends.

Forest opens his mouth to interrupt his friends from fighting, but no noise comes out. Two pairs of obsidian black and harsh orange glanced at him. Forest shaked his green and brown fur, and spoke. "Run!"

The three wolves took off at a fleeting pace. Midi stared back at what was there, and kept back a yowl in surprise. There stood something.. glowing. But it was no star, she knew. Some creature with other strange objects in it's filthy yellow paw. She squeezed her eyes shut, and willed her legs further. Away from the mysterious beast.

…...

I live in a world of vivosaurs, majestic creatures that can be revived from fossils and bonded with. There are many that never became fossils and roam around freely, but most are bound to people in small, flat, circular disks called medals. And those with vivosaurs are called... fossil fighters. Alas, I am without that joy in my world. The planet I live on is called Vivaldi-Isles: vivosaur and isles pushed together. My world is larger than a simple isle, but that's where I live. That is what it is called. The individual island I live on is called Mini Vivaldi-Isles. Yay.

My name is Dina. I come from... I do not know. My parents? I do not know. When I do think of my parents, I assume they are dead. Since I showed up to this isle in rags. Anything to do with my past? I do not know. I am an amnesiac, stumbled upon Mini Vivaldi-Isles at a young age with only the memory of my name. I can feel that my memories of life before _were _there, but somehow taken. But I also have a token of my past. Back to when I could not remember.

My hand flies for my left pocket; for the medal. I sigh when my fingers touch a smooth, cold surface. Still there. The only thing I have from my past life -the memories I do not have- is the medal. The medal of a vivosaur. I had it with me when I came here, and only my one friend and I know of it. I think. His name officially is Dimetro, but he tells me his name is "Torn." And that he can tell we've known each other for a long time. But that is all we remember together.

Torn is a middle-sized vivosaur. He is a quadrupled beast with rich red scales. He has a red sail on his back, also the same red. Two gleaming yellow eyes are from his narrow head. And two scarlet, nearly purple stripes zigzag from his eyes and down to his long tail. The same color follows along his sail. I am grateful for Torn. He makes me feel safe in this house.

Since I became an amnesiac, I've lived with the family that found me. I remember that the small population of Mini Vivaldi-Isles -about two hundred- surrounding me. When I arrived and they took me to the town center. Everyone had came to see me, and most agreed that I should stay with the family that found me. 'Oh, they're such a good family,' one person had said. 'And they have a child too!' Another agreed. So I was stuck to them. The Huricans.

I do not believe this family is nice. But maybe that is because they didn't want me. Which makes sense. The Huricans left me at home most times, and took their son with them on vacations and other fun events they said I was too stupid or boring or bland to go to. I never question them. Don't want to hurt myself... again. But I try to ignore the family. At least, most of them.

My foster brother is Todd. Todd Hurican. It does not sound fitting for him to be named after a natural disaster, but I cannot argue. He is who he is. But Todd is better than his family. He could get us out of the house, and I show him Torn. When we were younger, we played games. Now we sit back and try to enjoy the moments. The ones where we can be free of his two-faced parents. Todd doesn't enjoy his parents. I tell him to be thankful they love him. He counters with how they treat me. And we sit in still silence.

Todd is an energetic boy. He's also sly. When I look at him, I can tell he's still a child. Deep inside. Todd has honey tan skin, with ruffled, brown hair kept hidden by a beige hat. Two brown eyes stare back at me above a small assortment of freckles. He wears a light green jumpsuit with darker green stripes on the sides and tips. Underneath that short sleeved jumpsuit are long sleeves that match the darker green on him. Light green shoes finish his appearance.

I look a bit like that, I guess. When I stare into the crystal clear pond near the house, I can see my pale, pale face. And nervous brown eyes boring into me. Light orange hair that covers my face in bangs and comes out to my left in a ponytail. A few stray strands sit on the right of my face. And I know what I wear. I've worn it for years. The deep blue jumpsuit far too many sizes large- the clothing Todd's mother had bought me when I arrived, telling the townspeople my worn rags wouldn't do. She chose well; I've only worn this, and a towel when I waited for my jumpsuit to dry after a wash. Now the jumpsuit almost fits me. Only a size or two bigger now. But it has a few patches too. I go without shoes. For I have none.

He and I are close, like actual siblings. But something holds me back from feeling like we are. I do not know what, but I do. Something that separates me from him. I could go out and list every single detail we do not have in common, but I do not think that will help.

Now we're slowly walking through the town. It's not too much: wide-spread houses around the lake that empties into ocean, but it's home. At least, my home of now. I pass by a home. Mud brown bricks stack to form a square dwelling. Some bricks lead outwards to new rooms of the house. In between the brick slabs and the brown, hinged roof is a ring of white cement. Most homes are made with the same material, including "my" own. It's the insides that differ severely.

As I pass by houses, people glance towards us. Friendly eyes crinkled at the edge; tan, smiling faces. "Hello, Todd! Hi, Dina!" The townsfolk call out to us as we walk. Sometimes Todd gives a cheery smile and utters a few words that sit on the top of his mind, but today he stares at the ground, thinking. I smile and wave at the people. I'd never dare to tell them what happens inside the household. I already feel the punishments they give for only living there. I do not want to see the what else the Huricans have in store.

_I wonder what the disaster kids have in store for us today! _Torn growls sarcastically to me. That is a bond humans have to their vivosaurs. We can communicate through our minds with them. And others can hear them, too. Todd snickers next to me, probably from Torn. He laughs easily. Me? ...I cry. And try to remember how lucky I am to have others too look after me. And Todd and Torn.

I enjoy the scenery of Mini Vivaldi-Isles. There is soft grass underneath my bare feet, the color of a wonderful summer day. The leaves a rich green, the grass softer. In Vivaldi-Isles, the weather differs from where you live. And it's a sweet summer here, for the most part. It does get hot every once in awhile, but mostly stays breezy and warm, like an everlasting dream of happiness and pleasant lands of peace and harmony. Then I turn to "my" house.

And the happy feelings leave in fleeting movements. There stand the Huricans. And two large suitcases lay beside them. But I can breathe a sigh of relief. Because I see a deep blue duffel bag along with the two green ones. It's small, but mine. So wherever Todd is going, I am following.

A muscular male stands near the door. He is bald, but has a shiny, black mustache lay on his face. He is tan, like the majority of Mini Vivaldi-Isles. And wears a sleeveless, dark green shirt with camouflage-colored pants and long brown boots. He has a loud, demeaning voice, and his dark eyes roll over me like I'm scum stuck to his large boot. "Todd! There you are!" The man -the father of Todc- smiles warmly to his son, who shrinks back beside me. I glance at him with concern. He's... not the most courageous person I know.

The woman next to Mr. Hurican is prim, dainty and proper. Her short, black hair doesn't leave her face. She is pale, but not the hasn't-seen-much-sunlight pale I am. More of a proper pale. She wears a thick coat of makeup on that proper face, also. She is tall. A puffy, pink dress falls limp to he waist. And tall, uncomfortable high-heels stick to her feet and match the dress. "Oh, sweetie," The woman sighs. "You know you don't have to pretend to like_ **her**_!" I flinch. They know who Mrs. Hurican means.

The muscular man shoves the blue duffel bag in my face, his eyes directed to Todd. "It's your birthday," Mr. Hurican's rough voice carries over to Todd. "And because of this, we've finally decided to let you become a fossil fighter! Sorry Dina's coming with you, that pathetic little..." I drown his words out so I do not have to hear the names. They are already drilled into me, I do not want to hear them again. "...it's time for her to leave our house. You can ditch her when you're there, though," I bite my lip and pretend I heard nothing by turning around.

I know where we're headed. It's a point at the end of Mini Vivaldi-Isles, where the helicopter comes at certain times. It takes us to wherever the Huricans commanded earlier for us to be taken. I listen to the mother of Todd as we walk, who is bubbling about where we are headed. "Sorry again, but you and _**her **_are going to the same place. We wanted the best of you, and didn't bother looking for a place to send _**her**_. But no matter: you can ignore that!" The lady claps her hands excitedly and twirls with her hair. "We're sending you off to the magnificent Caliosteo Islands!"

Mostly every landmark on Vivaldi-Isles is named with an "island" or "isles" after it, since most are singled off areas of land, surrounded by deep, long oceans.

Mrs. Hurican continues, boisterous now. "There are three islands you get to stay at. One has the beautiful scenery and shine of spring, another is hot and humid.. and the third," Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mrs. Hurican's nose wrinkle in outright disgust. "The third is cold and chilly. Winter: what a terribly terrible time," She scoffs. "Anyways, you'll get to dig up fossils and use them to beat everyone at the Caliosteo Cup: a tournament about to begin. That Joe Wildwest hottie is holding it!"

That prim and proper lady hates fossils. She loathes getting dirty, and fumes against using vivosaurs, but will do anything for Todd. I do not ever want to find out what could happen if I left Torn out and she found him. Good thing I am leaving.

Joe Wildwest... I feel I have heard of him, and Todd has boasted over strong vivosaur users in the past he's seen on T.V., but this comes from deep inside. Whoever he is, Joe sounds powerful at least. He should be, holding a tournament for vivosaurs.

I stop walking. Mere inches away from my sore feet, grass stands. But it's different: a white, large circle had been spray-painted over the grass, and an X swathes inside. I can tell what this is before the wind flies. Threatening to lift me up and carry me into a tree nearby. I quickly scoot away from the landing point as a large vessel swoops down. Towards the landing point.

When it lands, I gawk at the machine. It is big and bulky. Three metal choppers slice at the wind, but slowly tune down. It is black, but shiny too. A head pokes out of a wide, tall entrance. He wears a green hat. "Oh!" The man gives a smile. "You must be Todd and Dina! Come on in!" I hear the sniffles of Todd's mother as she wishes him farewell. Not wanting to be near, I slink into the large helicopter and slide onto a black, cushioned lounge chair. I don't take up much space.

While I wait, I feel my eyes bore into my surroundings. Wandering. I see a couple other people on a similar black lounge couch/chair in front of me by a good few feet. The floor is a marble brown. So are the walls. And the doors -one wide, tall one on each side- show scenery of Mini Vivaldi-Isles. I feel sick to look back, so my eyes flit to my baggy shorts- the ends of my jumpsuit. It swamps my knees entirely.

A quiet oomph. I glance to my left to see the green jumpsuit. "Hey Todd," My voice is soft, nearly impossible to hear unless you are accustomed to it. But he knows, and soon his mischievous eyes lock with mine. His baggage litter near his feet.

"Oh, hey!" Todd's voice is loud and youthful. He smiles. "So my mom wouldn't stop hugging me, which was pretty embarrassing. People were starting to stare! Then dad went far enough to threaten the people to stop staring and showed off his muscles! _Finally _mom stopped crying, and now I'm here!" he sheepishly grins. I know Todd only says he doesn't love his parents because of the way they treated me. But I smile back and do not respond. For once, he does not mention me and his parents together.

I glance to the right. There are two, black driver seats. They face an extra wide and extra large windshield. The one on the right has a driving wheel. As I stare, the man in the other seat grasps a small microphone with a squiggly cord attached. "Hello, fighters!" The man exclaims with an overwhelming, joyful voice. Like we are children. "Our next stop is the Caliosteo Islands, so hold onto your hats and we'll be off shortly! Remember you are allowed to get up on the helicopter and look out at the scenery!"

After the man finishes speaking, Todd runs towards the door to my right. The one we came in. His tan hand grasps onto a bar from above and watches as the helicopter takes flight. His brown eyes widen, and a hand goes to his hat. "Dina, this is amazing!" He squeals. "Come on! Check it out!" I stay where I am sitting. He pauses. "Do I have to drag you on over?" My hands scrape the seat and I shake my head no. Todd groans and releases his hand from the bar. His green shoes clonk and Todd walks back to his seat. "Psyche!" He grabs my pale arm and literally drags me to the opening. His tan hands lead mine to the bar.

I gasp. The sight is dotted with clouds, adding a majestic feel. And underneath... the fattest quantity of water I had ever seen from above. The water shines with sun rays dancing over it's breaking surface. Water vivosaurs flip through the water with ease while air ones glide over, their shadows casting over the blue mass. Which is what I consider myself to be. A shadow.

"Amazing, isn't it?" His breath near me. I give a small nod. "Say something.." He moans. Todd knows well I do not talk. So he only uses that voice when he seriously wants me to stop acting like a shadow. I keep my hands against the bar, gripping furiously, and sigh.

"I agree. It... it is beautiful," I whisper to the waves in awe. "I wish we could see this more often,"

Todd smiles next to me. "We've broken out of prison. We probably will see more like this,"

**Me: Yay! ^ ^ I did it! **

**Dina: :3 Great! Looks good.**

**Me: Huh. You're way more fun than Dino.**

**Dina: Who?**

**Me: The guy from my other story. Well... I'm at another loss for words. So I'll end this here...**


	2. Chapter 2: Wonderful land of Caliosteo

**Me: Hello yellow! **

**Todd: I am going to be the greatest fossil fighter ever! :D**

**Me: Noooo you won't! :D**

**Todd: But.. you'll destroy my dream.**

**Me: Okay. **

The Alone Champion

Chapter 2: The Wonderful land of Caliosteo

When the helicopter lands, the scenery has left us. The town we are in has a few trees behind, though. I slide off the large, black vehicle and look around to my new home.

The ground is a pale yellow brick. Four small fountains lead like a pathway to a building up ahead. Two other buildings to the left and right flank it. There are some trees and bushes scattered about, and a few flower patches line the island like fences. The first building -the one to the left- is long and has two different parts, like identical square structures. Both are also colored greatly, with the glass sliding doors rimmed with red, that with orange, next with yellow, and everything else purple.

The middle building is also long, but twice as tall too. It is mostly brown wood, but the second floor has yellow lines wrapped around it with a red vivosaur face on top. Two palm trees stand near the entrance. And the third building is colorful like the first one, but these are too vibrant and numerous to name every pattern on there. "Wow..." Todd gasps from beside me.

"Hey, kids!" A man shouts. I turn around to face an older male with a frosty white beard and dark clothes. "You... yeah you," I can feel his gaze slicing into me, sizing me up. "Have you gotten enrolled in the Caliosteo Cup yet? You'd better- sign up's almost over," And with that, the old man melts into a small crowd of people.

"What?" Todd shrieks, his beige hat falling off. Todd quickly grabs my hand and starts to tug. We both wear a fingerless, black glove. Mine is on my left hand; his on the right. So I can feel the velvet rubbing together. I feel my bare feet drag painfully over stone, and remember to run after Todd. I follow his green jumpsuit until we reach a small staircase leading to the middle building. "I think... this is huff... it," Todd pants. "Yeah... Fighter Stadium," We wearily drags me up the steps and into the building.

Inside, the room has a large assortment of green. To the left, three long, green couches sit to each other on a dark green carpet. The cool stone floor is a nearly-black green. The walls are light green, like the jumpsuit Todd wears. The ceiling is painted to appear as a pretty meadow in the sunlight. A staircase lines the right and left walls, which is a yellow-green color. And four hallways sprout around the room like plants. Two hide next to the staircases and behind a large booth of dark green facing me. The other two cut in front of the stair entrances and lead left or right to rooms.

I walk to the booth and in front of a lady. She has short brown hair to her shoulders, a lime green, short-sleeved shirt, black pants, and fingerless gloves like my single one. "Hello!" The lady chirps. "Would you like to register for the Caliosteo Cup?"

Todd bolts up to the booth, his hat nearly falling off again. "Yeah!" He boisterously shouts. "I'm Todd Hurican, and that's Dina!" He starts pacing with excitement. I can almost see the joy roll off of him, and picture it swooping down in large puddles. Todd screams a second whoop when the lady turns around to grab a slip of plaque.

"Todd... Hurican.." She mutters, stamping the letters in. "Okey dokey! Here you go!" She hands him a golden yellow card with the words "Todd Hurican" stamped in black ink. There is a narrow, rectangular slot in the card too. "Put a photo in there if ya want!" the lady instructs.

"Now for Dina... Hurican?" The lady tugs on her light brown hair in question.

"Nope- just Dina!" Todd shouts again, staring at his card with wide eyes and running his fingers over the black lettering. Soon the lady has stamped a second card up, and hands it to me. I glance down and read the words "Dina" largely printed in black at the top right. In small letters below, the words "level-one fighter," are listed. I take a small slip of paper from one of my pockets and tuck it securely inside the photo slot. _We can win this, you know. _Torn mutters to me. I shrug in response.

"Okay, you're ready!" The lady cheers. "Now to-" But her light voice is interrupted by a loud beeping noise. I turn around and notice windows on the upper level of the Fighter Station. But they are blocked by the shadow of a large, floating screen. I can not see what is on the screen, but I can hear the voice.

**Welcome fighters! **It shouts with pleasure and a thick western accent. **The name's Joe Wildwest! Some of you know me as a masterful fossil fighter, but now you can remember me to be the owner of this here Caliosteo Park! And ya'll are gonna compete in my tournament, yes? **Wild cheers answer the man's question_. _**Great! Because the reward of winning the Caliosteo Cup is to be the owner of this here park! See ya! **

The shadow floats from the window and the crowd outside goes insane with shouts an cheers. As the announced "Joe Wildwest" had announced the prize, a cry of disbelief came from one of the hallways and a lady had ran out. Now she stands before me, slowly shaking her head. "Who are you?" Todd questions.

The lady turns around. She has light brown hair that goes a short ways past her shoulders, a lime green and yellow shirt, black pants, and fingerless gloves. "Oh, hello," She murmurs. "I'm the Staff Leader here on Ribular Island. The name's Stella," The lady glances at us and smiles. "Oh, you must be new. Then I'd better go through how to revive a fossil and battling," She beckons to us and walks towards the booth. Todd and I obediently follow, not wanting to be left behind.

We enter the hallway to the right of the booth. Once in the doorway down the hall, I take a small look around. The room has a light green flooring. A crescent-shaped desk faces us. Small stacks of tools and rocks are on the left wall. A large, circular machine stands behind the crescent-shaped desk, labeled "Revivial Chamber." And t the right, a tall, thin machine with a screen stands.

Stella walks up to Todd and I with a small assortment of items in her hands. She separates them out, and hands some to me. There are three tools: One is a medium-sized hammer, the second a small drill, and the final being a large pickaxe. Then Stella flourishes a green set of her own drill and hammer and grasps a rock from the side. She carefully places it on the desk.

"Dina, come over here and I'll show you about cleaning fossils. The boy can go next," Stella waves me up with her tan hand and I step up. Confusion slowly chills me. _How did she possibly know my name? Especially without knowing Todd's! _

When I get to Stella, I whisper, "How did you know my name?"

The green eyes Stella has slowly close, thoughtful. "Oh, must've been a lucky guess," She utters. "I knew a kid that reminded me of you, so it just came out," Stella shrugs her yellow and green shoulders. "Just ignore that,"

Stella hands me her tools. "There isn't any fossil in here- just a rock shaped like one. We use these to help train those like you about fossils. Try it out and see how you do," I cautiously fit the green hammer in my gloved hand and shake slightly, trying to get a feel. Then I raise the hammer and strike the rock. Debris sticks on my face, but I raise the hammer again and deliver a second blow. And a third. A loud _clang _vibrates through and I cringe, dropping the hammer.

"Oh, you only hit 'bone'," Stella explains. "Sometimes you need to do this," She carefully blows on the rock, making dusk uncover a chip of broken rock. "Keep going," She encourages. I raise the hammer a final time and clunk it against rock. I glance at the neatly carved vivosaur head, and slowly place the hammer on the desk. Then I grasp the drill in my left hand again and flick it on. A buzzing noise fills the room. I carefully push the metal against the rock and clear the rock of excess dirt.

I place the drill on the desk and softly smile. There are some dents on the rock, but it is mostly smooth. "Not bad!" Stella remarks, then beckons Todd to her. His green jumpsuit rubs against mine and I quickly get up. I walk back to the wall and wait. I can hear a few snide retorts as the hammer makes clangs against a new rock. Dust fills the air. I cover a cough by hitting my foot against the wall awkwardly. Soon a buzzing noise vibrates against me. I watch with wonder as Todd erupts from the dust, smiling.

"Good job!" Stella smiles and nods to us. "Now for fossil battles, there isn't much to say. You have to follow your heart to get it going. But something to know is that you get a sum of fossil points each turn. They add up each time you attack. If your vivosaur gets hit too much, it will return to it's medal. I think that mostly sums it up," With that, Stella walks out of the room and leaves us. I place my new tools inside the bag I am still lugging around and strap the pickaxe to my back.

Todd gives me a large smile, the freckles on his tan cheeks poking out. "Wait, don't put your tools away yet!" He shouts. I quickly grab my hammer and drill again. "My dad gave me a couple of fossils. I'll let you choose one," He takes two rocks out and hands the one in his gloved hand to me. I walk up next to him and place the fossil on the desk, and Todd copies my movement.

Todd grasps his hammer. I hold onto my drill. Loud clangs and annoying buzzes fill the room as we work. I can feel dust covering my cheeks and dirtying my hands. And underneath a clump of dust, white bone shows. I quickly blow off the dust and drill further. I hear Todd drop his hammer and more buzzing starts. I flinch with every crack of bone, but keep drilling. _You should've used the hammer first, _Torn mutters. But after a few long minutes of work, I wipe off a pile of dust and smile at bone. A horned head with a few cracks faces me.

"Stego- air type." A voice sounds. My gaze snaps towards the round machine in front of us. The boy in his green jumpsuit is standing there, smiling sheepishly. "68 out of 100 points. Stego is a mid-range vivosaur with well-balanced attributes. It can also learn a powerful team skill that confuses all enemies," The machine continues. A green, quadrupled vivosaur spawns on the ground next to the revival machine. It has red spines lining it's back and stiff tail. _Hello? _A voice questions.

The brown eyes of Todd lock with mine, and he squeals. _You've been revived, _Torn responds to the confused-looking Stego. Todd glances at his vivosaur. "I think I'll name her Gren," he murmurs. His tan hand raises to pet the green hide, and Gren gives a small vivosaur smile.

_I will be Gren then, _She decides. I can feel Torn attempting to come out of his medal, but Todd returns his Stego before my red reptilian friend can. Then I carefully grab the bone still lying on the desk and walk up to the revival machine. Todd steps over to the right of it, his green shoes squeaking on the ground. I place the bone inside and wait.

The machine rumbles to life a second time, and the vivosaur head is sent within. "Tricera- water type," The monotone voice whirrs. "74 out of 100 points. Tricera is an offensive threat whose support effect boosts the attack of allies in the attack zone. It also knows the parting blow ability." I have no idea what half the words the machine had said meant, but I am happy to have revived my first vivosaur, if "reviving" Torn doesn't count, since I can not remember.

A quadrupled vivosaur appears on the ground. It is short and stocky. Blue covers most of the body, but a tan line stretches out from the nose to the tail. And three horns sprout from the head. _What. Just. Happened. _A voice questions. It is male, so a name forms in my mind. "I will name you... Trikko," I murmur.

_Trikko... hmm... I've heard worse. _I gape at the vivosaur. Heard... worse? _At least you haven't named me "Fuzzy buns" or "Cutie pie," _He grumbles. I quickly pick up the blue medal when Trikko shrinks.

_So we've got a pessimist! Yay! _Torn cheers sarcastically. I give a small smile to him and glance at Todd. He shrugs at me. We exit the lab room with vivosaurs tucked inside our pockets, bags slung over our shoulders, and a dusty mess I had insisted we clean up.

When we arrive back in the area with the booth, a few people are sitting on the couch or wandering the place. "Oh! You two!" The lady at the booth from before beckons us foreword. "We aren't opening any fossil sites yet, so don't go looking. We've got a long line of people to get settled in," She sighs, obviously flustered. "Well, the last things you need to do is get your rooms. You're both registered under Rose Hurican, I believe?"

I glance at Todd for confirmation. He slightly nods to the register lady. "Yep! So.. where are we staying?" Todd asks with new curiosity. He glances down at his green jumpsuit in wait for the news. I get why: we probably will not be together, since Mrs. Hurican will never like me at all.

The lady nods. "Okay... Todd Hurican, you live in room B10 at our very own Ribular Island. So you'll go upstairs and take a right." She hands Todd a green card with the symbols "B10" listed in black. "Dina, you're staying at the rooms in Llium Island. So you'll have to take a ride there on the helicopter to get everything,"I feel my heart smash, but nod and hide my feelings. A whole other island away...

After exchanging my goodbye to Todd, I walk out of the fighter station and down the wooden steps to a large, closed-off section of land. An attendant asks me where I want to go, and I mumble "Llium Island" in my quiet voice. The lady smiles and nods and calls for the helicopter. Soon, a large, black vehicle comes from the sky. I walk inside the wide door and slump onto a black chair. I feel the helicopter take off, but make no move to look out the window. I wait in heavy silence as the helicopter glides over water and vivosaurs. I take a small glance around, but see no one on besides the pilot of the helicopter and me.

A small _thud _sounds, and the helicopter stops moving. I slowly get out of the doors and look around at the scenery. The Llium Island is shrouded in white, puffy billows of snow. The ground is light blue, but that is the one detail I notice, because I stare at the floor when I walk to the fighter station. It feels awkward to not have Todd by my side. He is almost like a true sibling to me. But I swallow my guilt and enter the dark blue doors.

I take a small glance of the room and note that it is almost like the Ribular Island room, but in hues of blue. The ground is a deep sea blue. The couches are an icy light blue. The carpet couches sit over is turquoise. The staircases are lined with a nearly white yellow, with night sky blue stairs. The ceiling is a starry night sky. And there is a small fish tank sitting behind a light-blonde haired staff member, this one wearing a midnight blue shirt.

I walk up to the lady, my bare feet tingling against the cool flooring. "You must be Dina," She murmurs. I glance at her in confusion. How did she know that. "Oh, only two people are staying at the Llium Island hotel, and one is a male. It's obvious you have to be Dina," She shrugs, handing me a card that reads "A1". "Don't worry- just because not many people stay here, that doesn't mean the rooms are any worse," I shrug and climb the stairs.

I notice that my large, blue jumpsuit is light compared to the stair color. I hurry to the top and read the door numbers I see. "B-five... B-four..." I murmur, and walk past a few doors without glancing at their numbers. "B-one... A-one!" I walk inside the sea blue door and glance around. The room contains two sets of shelves, one on each wall; two wardrobes, one on each wall; two blue beds; one on each side; and a walkway between the two beds to a glass door where I can see a balcony outside. It appears small.

I slide my luggage onto the bed to the left and sit down. The comforter is thick and soft. And a beautiful dark blue. I sigh and open up my pockets, letting two medals fall into my gloved, left hand. "We have arrived," I murmur.

_Brr! _Trikko retorts angrily. _Will someone elaborate why we're stuck on an iceberg for however long we stay at the Caliosteo Cup? Because I'd rather not freeze my tail off without an explanation! _I sigh. "We have to stay here because Mrs. Hurican does not enjoy the cold. I guess many people do not. So since she hates me more than the cold, she had me stay in this hotel. Far away from her precious Todd,"

_I think that lady's stupid. _Torn mutters. _I mean, what does she possibly have against you? You at least try to stay outta her way! And she's way ugly. _I give a small laugh. "I guess. Maybe she knows some of my memories- I believe I lost them after she saw me..."

Trikko snorts loudly. _I bet it's because she hates females that aren't her. Wait a minute! That burly creep locked me in a closet for what.. a decade? Can I go beat him up? _"I wish," I murmur. "But maybe they have always been right..."

Torn sighs and closes his eyes. _You always say that. _"But they probably are," _Come on! Stop that for once in your life! I don't think I suck because Rose hates me! _"But she loves Todd," I respond calmly.

I curl up on the bed. "Never mind. I am going to sleep," With that, I lay my medals on the bed covers and wrap my arms around my bundled up legs.

**Me: Gosh Dina. You're too stubborn. -looks around- ...Dina?**

**Stella: HOW COULD YOU STARRY?**

**Me: Hello Stella.. Be aware readers, that is a deadly Star Wolf. Not the sweet little staff leader. **

**Stella: STARRY I'M NAMED AFTER A HUMAN!**

**Me: -.-ll**

**Llana: Sigh..**

**Me: Eek! -slams door on both- Just ignore them. They're from somewhere not to do with fossil fighting. **

**Just ignore them!**


	3. Chapter 3: Oyasuminasai

**Me: If you've played Fossil Fighter Champions... you'll remember this character. He is too cool and I even gave a few adjustments to kill some snobbishness. HINT HINT~ If you don't know him... you shall soon enough. -girly squeal-**

**PS- Oyasuminasai: OYA(a as in father) SUMI(like sumo wrestler) NA(as in claw) SAI(as in sigh). Practice a lot!**

The Alone Champion

Chapter 3: Oyasuminasai (Good night)

_?'s POV_

I quietly sigh, opening my bright yellow eyes. I stare out of the glass window to my right and attempt to become comfortable on the expensive seat, which is actually quite impossible. I squirm for a moment and decide to ignore the stiff back and bottom of the aqua blue chair. I resume staring through the glass window on my right, created in a triangular pattern. The sea outside is a vast expanse of blue, dimly sparkling in the twilight.

A short peek to my left shows me the man piloting the private jet. He wears red robes and a gold chain around his neck; formal servant wear. His black eyes stare blank out through the windshield as he steers me to my latest Fossil Fighting Tournament. Now days, each one passes by with less joy than the last. They are all simply the same: a gold trophy awarded to me and an oversized raise to my father's company.

I remember why we are traveling to this new cup at night: quite obvious... the fans. People have come far and wide to see me in action and watch and learn that I am the champion of fossil fighting. I have racked a fair number of fans that want to take a blinding flash photo of me or want a lock of my hair, which are both outrageous and creepy. A few have even asked me to sign their arms; as if I would do that.

I glance at the windshield in front of me. At my reflection, which remains the same as the last time I had seen it. My mostly pale face glares straight ahead with sharp eyes the color of a burning yellow sunset. White hair, covering the sides of my face and reaching to the edges, with bangs nearly covering my eyes. A rich red, long sleeved jacket, the collar a deep blue. The cuffs the same. And puffed pants, white with one red stripe sliding down from the top. Covered by my dark brown boots. I give off the vibe of rich- which I am heavily acquainted to.

I watch blankly as the private jet begins a steady descend. Wind scrapes against the glass windows, but does not get in either. The dark sheen of twilight has covered the small island I am descending to like a blanket. After a few moments of hesitation, the private jet lands onto what I believe is snow with a soft thud. I quietly exit the aircraft.

Slowly, I turn around for one last look at the jet. It's black, but some areas are a hazy way; harder to see, just in case insane people try to track me in another plane. So far, that hasn't happened often, but when some human comes floating on the wind, nearing, it is hard to get away safely.

My boots crunch white, frosty bits. I was right about the snow. Glancing further lets me slightly notice the not snow-covered ground. It appears to be a shade of sorts to light blue, covered in shadows at the moment. The cold air nips at me, but despite that I know this will be a nice place to stay. It is too bad I will leave after winning the Caliosteo Cup. I could enjoy this place if it were possible to live here.

My eyes traverse through the small ice town. I remember it being called Llium Village, if memory serves. The rather large structure ahead of me is a tall dome, right now covered in the shadows of night. I can make the assumption that it is light blue, since the moon shines coldly to reveal a somewhat blue-colored shadow. A smart touch to the dome is the ring of stained glass windows, colors numerous and bright. The dome is smaller than the mansion my father keeps me in, but suitable.

Four narrow pathways lead from the village. One sprouts from the upper right edge and through the steady fall of snow; a second, jagged one from almost next to me on the right, leading down and out; a third to my left slightly, leading further out from there. Each of these are blocked by large, long signs. A final one is further ahead and to the left, but the path is short. What the snow has not surpassed looks like a shop, but I cannot be sure.

Once I get myself into the sliding metal doors, a blue room greets me. I can tell there is a varying assortment of blue throughout the room. I can see a few couches placed neatly together to the left of me; two staircases lining the sides; a long, aqua-colored booth; some hallways. A lady bores into the booth she stands behind, looking bored, so I walk up to her. "I believe I am staying here, at Llium Island," I murmur.

The blonde female at the counter wears a soft, midnight blue robe-like top, with fluffy black pants. Her light blonde hair is kept in a tight bun. She snickers at me. "Most people think it's Llium Island. It's actually called Ilium Island, with an "i" at the beginning," She laughs. "Silly... anyways, I guess you're Rupert." A midnight blue card flips onto the booth with the dark symbols "A1" printed on.

"Thank you," I mutter. I glance at the woman for a moment, wondering if she knows me. If not, then that is an unexpected relief. After standing awkwardly, I pluck the card from the booth and walk calmly towards the staircase lining the left of the room.

As I assume, a wild scream erupts from behind me. "You're... Rupert!" She squeals without breath. "Rupert Oyasuminasai! Oh my gosh can I have an autograph?" I sigh and shake my head brutally. My yellow eyes closed, I arrive at the top of the staircase. I reopen them and sigh again, shaking my head slowly this time. _Why must everyone want me..? _I wonder in silence. With hesitation, I place the card in the door slot and watch the metal slide open. I step inside and glance around.

The room is small, but contains a homey or quaint feeling. The walls are a deep blue, matching the blankets sprawled across two beds. Each are pushed against the left or right wall. The left one is occupied. The carpet is a light cyan. There are a few shelves and a wardrobe or two scattered about, leaving not the largest amount of space.

I shrug off my bright red duffel bags and sit on the bed to the right. I swipe a glance at the person in the other bed. Bright orange hair covers her eyes in bangs, most of it up in a side ponytail. Her pale face appears small, matching well with her pale limbs. An overly large, blue jumpsuit covers her body in overwhelming folds. The girl is knocked cold, extremely tired from something. Maybe she traveled a long ways to get here..?

I shrug, not particularly caring, and crawl into my own blankets. The better choice is to change into sleepwear, but I am too tired to care at the moment. I want to sleep, and do not care for clothing change. I can do that later. I wait for darkness to enclose me.

A scream. I struggle to keep asleep, not wanting to let this part of my dream awaken me. I am tired as it is. Whatever that voice is, I will ignore. I hold my own against the loud, screechy voice. And sigh when the loud voice has dispersed. I must get up later; I will not waste my time on such useless matters like the voice.

A _scream_. Stronger and louder than the first one. I feel my hands clench as I attempt to ignore the voice again and clench my teeth when it drowns on. The darkness of sleep seemingly vibrates around me and threatens to snap. I struggle into the warmth of my bed and try to forget the voice. To go away. And after a string of long moments, the screaming does cease like last time.

A _SCREAM__, _louder and coarser than I could imagine. Filled with bloodcurdling, terrible thoughts. This newest scream violently shakes me awake from sleep with an angry jolt. Attempting to grasp the last few moments of peace, but nothing comes up. Only the flash of my eyes when they open, staring at the midnight blue pillow resting before me. And the scream is still here, only more helpless.

I sigh, irritated, and sit up. Slowly, I turn to face my threat to sleep. Which is that pale little girl, her fingers rolled up in balled fists and her eyes squeezed tight. _Oh gosh, she must be having some sort of nightmare, _I realize. That must be humiliating. First day on Caliosteo Islands, and my roommate has a nightmare. I do feel a pang of sorrow for the girl. It must be worse for her, especially when she sees who ends up waking her.

My fingers tap against her blue-clad shoulder quickly. "Wake up," I mutter under my breath, already feeling extremely awkward. My face lights up in embarrassment when a pair of brown eyes open wildly. The girl glances towards me. Her face lights up in red and her eye widen. The girl slides out of my grasp and bumps into the midnight blue wall.

"W...who are you?" She whimpers. Her voice is soft, like the first touch of snowflakes in the beginning of winter. As if the flakes had dug into my face, I feel my embarrassment blush deepen and immediately wish I hadn't touched her. The fingers that had tingle with feeling. The girl stares at me with a watchful eye, a few light orange bangs scattered across her forehead.

I cannot believe it. The girl doesn't know who I am. Realizing the awkward position I am in, I slowly back away until I am on my bed and not too close to the girl. "My name is Rupert Oyasuminasai," Making sure I am not on false evidence, I add, "Have you ever heard of that name before?" I wait in still silence for an answer.

The girl smooths out a fold in her jumpsuit and copies my position on her bed. "Oh. I know you no more than you know me," She shyly glances around the room; anywhere except me. "My name is Dina."

A last name does not come from the Dina. As if working up the courage, Dina's brown eyes slowly drag themselves onto me. "Thank you... thank you for... um... waking me up," She mumbles, her soft voice nearly too quiet for me to hear. She grabs something small on her bed and starts to get up. I realize she has no shoes on her pale feet. She is most likely paler than me.

Before the small red-head is out the door, I murmur a response. "It was nothing," After that, she gives a curt nod and exits the blue room. I get why she is leaving; probably will not be able to sleep after such an encounter. On the other hand, I already feel the warmth of my bed calling for me again. I shrug slightly and sink into the mattress once more, thoughts of the screaming girl and encounter shoved to the back of my head.

…...

After meeting Rupert Oyasuminasai, I had left the room, feeling too restless for another attempt at sleep. I may decide to forget sleeping and try to stay awake on my own. Then I could avoid people better and not have to pester Rupert if I have another nightmare. I quickly hop down each step and walk towards the blue booth and stare at the lady running it. She appears to be similar to the other lady from yesterday, but her light blonde hair is thicker and the lady is older.

"Hello Dina!" The latest staff member chirps. Her head swivels to the side and she glances at a clock on the wall. "Say... it's around midnight. Past midnight. That means the first dig site of the tournament has opened!" The lady snorts. "Joe thinks there are fossil fighters that wait until now for dig sites. Well, guess he was right for once," The lady smiles widely at me, flashing bright teeth. "The first site is called Treasure Lake. Take the copter to Ribular Island. There's a pathway now open to everyone. A staff member can show you," I slowly nod and exit the many-shades-of-blue-room.

I slowly plow through the path of snow, feeling a small pang of weariness. But it is better than having another nightmare, in case that happens. The lady must have called for a helicopter, because one of those sharp-bladed, huge black vessels starts narrowing down on me. Quickly, my feet make a path to the right, in case the beast does not see me. I wish to not be crushed. But it turns out I was safe; the helicopter lands in a large square with a long, white "H" printed on, where I guess the black vessel goes. After a few short seconds, the long, thin blades above the roof shorten to a stopping point.

Quickly, I make my way up a short stair to the tall doors of the helicopter. I slide in side noiselessly and sit on the cool floor. Watching my breath fly away in white billows. "Say, young lady, ain't ya little bit cold?" A man with a heavily thick accent questions me. My eyes travel to my single jumpsuit and glove. Am I cold? I do not feel cold. The weather feels more to be a refreshing air.

"No sir," I mumble at the floor. Footsteps echo, leading further away as the man gets ready to start the engine. I slowly glance out the window, to the blizzard accompanying Ilium Island. A soft rumbling noise enters the silence and consumes it, until the only sound I can hear is the soft guttering of a vibrating engine, humming to life. The crystallized snow flakes swoop near the entrance, quietly tapping the helicopter's black sides. A loud crunch. The helicopter floats up, into the breeze. After a final shove, the ground is left behind and the large vessel only touches air and snow.

Unlike last time, I watch through the door opening as flakes whirl betwixt us, inside and out, in silent, elegant swirls. A cool chill wraps around the air like a bow. The dark surroundings outside signal of a new day to come. The colors I had seen earlier are now shadows of their selves; deep blue walkways, foreboding black doors, small rainbow windows. My eyes catch a light mix of colors in the distance and my mouth hangs open. Colors with the appearance of rainbows string the dark sky in harmony. Light pinks; frosty light blues; mellow greens; creamy yellows, in thin, delicate strokes as if a painter had lain their canvas in the sky.

My gaze travels to the free flakes, guided by the wind and brought inside the copter. One significantly smaller than the other magnificent crystals sails past my nose. Before it is lost to the outdoors, my pale fingers stretch toward the sparkly white surface. For a moment, I feel the cool chill; then it is gone. My fingers tingle with the wondrous chill.

A long, long stretch of deep blue ocean goes by underneath the helicopter. At first, the water had been covered in thick sheets of ice. Next it broke apart at certain points; the temperature rising. Now there are no frozen waters, only warm seas. The float of the vessel bumps slightly, the engine running slower. The soft hum it crafted dies down, growing quieter. Leaving the driver and I in blank silence. Once the engine has quieted, a new bump follows, and we land on stone. I quickly exit the plane and slide onto the beige platform. My feet hit land; the helicopter stops, dead. I can see the man walk out from the helicopter driver's seat, to bed possibly.

The pathway that is straight to my right does not have the gate anymore. It must be the open dig site. A long, tall sign sits in front of the pathway. It reads "Treasure Lake" in bright, sly blue letters. A large head fossil with sharp teeth is painted on the letters with a pale color.

_Hey Dina! _An adventurous, youthful voice fills my mind. _That where we're going? Because I think we've got other plans first! _I can imagine a pair of lemon yellow eyes sparkling at me.

"Yes, Torn, that is our destination," I murmur.

Trikko butts in on my conversation. _That place looks terrible, _I see his pale-striped nose wrinkling up in disgust. _We should ditch the whole Caliosteo Cup and get some burgers. _I do not have money, if my vivosaur friend remembers. As I think this, the voice of Torn growls at Trikko in angry annoyance. He must have told off the blue Stego.

"Dina! What're you doing here?" A chipper voice interrupts the words Torn is about to use. "I thought you had to live in Llium Island from now on!" I snap to the left; a tallish boy in a medium-sized, green jumpsuit walks towards me from the fountains. He clutches a beige hat, which must have fallen off again. His brown eyes sparkle with excitement.

I give a miniature smile. "Actually, it is Ilium Island, but I guess it is hard to tell," I murmur. Todd glances at me: puzzled at my words. I usually do not speak in full sentences, but go on. "And I get to come here for Treasure Lake. How have you been?" Torn snorts from his medal, hiding his emotion on seeing Todd.

"Well, I was sleeping in my room, when I met... my roommate," Todd shudders, and quickly covers his light brown hair by putting his beige cap back on. "I asked her a few questions like where she came from and stuff; she sassed me! And her face is hideous! I don't know what it really looks like, but her mask is frightening!" Todd shivers again. "I only know her name is Pauleen. Then I got sick of her and came over here. The fountains aren't gonna tell me off, are they!" A goofy smile replaces his quivering. "And you aren't rude like her. Safe now!"

I smile, tuned to quiet me once more. "My roommate is named Rupert," I respond coolly.

His warm, brown eyes widen. Todd clenches his hat in exasperation and confusion. He nearly stamps his feet. "Are you telling me your roommate is the all-time famous _Rupert Oyasuminasai, _while I get stupid, scary Pauleen! How fair can the world get?" Todd sighs, awaiting my response.

"I do not think he is famous. I did not recognize or know him,"

I watch in awe as Todd stops fuming. He places his cap on his head. Stops stamping. Brown eyes light up with relief. His transformation usually is funny, like changing from ice to lava. "Good. I don't want you stuck with someone rich, snobby, and mean like him," Todd smiles and quietly squeezes my hand. Like an older brother would. He makes me wish he actually was. "Maybe we can meet our separate roommates later!"

The moment of care is released. His tan hands fly towards the sky. Todd woos and shouts. "Now that that's over: we're so gonna win the Caliosteo Cup, Dina! We can beat Pauleen in round one and I will beat you at the very end! That'll be great!" I smile and nod to Todd. His youth is one of my favorite of his attributes. It is fun to have someone like Todd that never gives up. He is a strong optimist.

Todd dashes to the newly-opened pathway, kicking up dust in his wake. I keep still and watch him until his green jumpsuit has disappeared from sight. Slowly, I walk over his path, my bare feet sore from the abundance of stone. I glance down. My feet are not in ruin thanks to long years without shoes, but small bruises still fleck the edges. I cringe at the look of my toes, but sigh and keep going. Todd is probably waiting for me at the dig site already. I steadily quicken my pace, until a lush, green clearing opens from the walkway.

The grassy plain is darkened with night, but sunshine should not be too far off. Possibly. A darkened figure stands in the middle of the plain. I can already tell it is Todd, though. He is impatiently floundering in place, his green shoes a grassy mess. When my friend gets a look at me, he smiles and races north, to the ending of the peaceful plain. His head disappears after stepping down the hill. I do not run, though.

I grasp my metallic-colored sonar from a pocket and touch a small, round button on the right edge. A quiet _ping _goes off. A glow-in-the-dark green line swoops from the top center of the circular disc, slowly rotating around the deep green, gridded background. A new, louder _beep _sounds as the line hovers over a bright green dot. I create two steps foreword. The green dot stands in front of me. I undo the ties on my pickaxe and swing at the ground.

A small dent in the dirt. I slide to the ground and pound once more. The dirt cakes around my target loosens. I thrust foreword another time. And again. And again. A thin hole forms. My left, gloved hand reaches slowly into the small opening. It fits, sliding deeper into shadow. My hand brushes against ancient rock. I conceal my excitement with a calm smile and lock the rock in my fingers. I tug slightly, moving more dirt from the original spot. My palm crawls out, a dusty, dirt-covered, brown rock in hand. White specs stick out. I have found my first fossil.

Too excited to contain, I tuck the rock under my arm and run to the start of Treasure Lake, too eager to wait until later for my fossil. On the way to Ribular Town, my body collides with another. I trip and scrape the ground. I feel my knees wobble and I take in a shaky breath. Another pair of eyes lock with mine. They are hateful gray, filled with emotions on indescribable hatred. I feel myself staring, until the person heaves themselves up with a feminine, "Ufft," The girl stalks past me, stepping on my hand with the soles of a shoe. I bite my lip to keep in an idle cry of pain. I stumble closer and feel my rock. A long, thin line wraps over it. I sigh, upset at myself for fumbling into the girl, and pick myself up. I trust my rock is not too badly damaged.

My hand slightly throbbing in new pain, I clamp fingers onto my rock and walk into the town. I walk into the wooden doors of the Ribular Town Fighters Station. I walk into the hallway on the far foreword and right, and carefully place my rock on the stand. I sigh and take the small, dull-colored drill from my bag, and lean over the new fossil.

A peaceful whirring. I silently dig into the fossil, watching specks of dirt slip from the bone. The bone is evenly sliced in half from the top-left tip to the bottom end of the bone. Seeing the broken chips makes me feel clumsy. I hold back the bitter thoughts and worry on fixing the bone. Checking the meter reveals that the red bar from the top has nearly sneaked past the success line, thanks to my cumbersome work. The drill buzzes harder into rock as emotions fill it.

The small, gray tool weighs down my pocket once more. I stare at the new fossil, an attempt to identify it. The bone appears shaped as a fat oval. Three long claws draw from the paw. The only part I dislike is the clean cut, running through the palm and part of a claw. It adds to a fossil mess, but looking up reveals that I have "56 points- success!" on the broken bone. I scoop up the two pieces, carefully transporting them to the circular machine in the back. I enter the arm pieces in the slot to the far right. The bones are dragged into the machine.

I slip to the side and watch the bones be evaluated. Soon enough, a voice crows from the depths of the technology. "Tricera arms- 56 points," I stand, confused. I have no clue what should happen next. My feet tap against the cool stone floor quietly. The machine waits, doing nothing. After moments drag on like years, the machine speaks up again. "Please enter Tricera," I slowly blink. "If not entered in one minute, Tricera arms will be transported to storage section of Vivosaur Management Machine," To this, I fumble for Trikko. My fingers touch blue glass. The medal is shoved inside the revival machine.

The robotic voice speaks again. "Tricera. Points added to rank- 56," I listen to a long ramble of numbers and codes, silently staring at the revival machine for an answer. The symbols are bland and do not make much sense. I slowly blink. "Tricera is stronger. It also has learned a new move: Tricera Combo. Use this in battle," The machine is quiet again. A small, blue medal pops out of the machine, staring up at me with visible hatred. I attempt to ignore that aspect and calmly walk out of the cleaning room.

I decide to examine the other shop. I step out of the green, meadow-like room and walk down the steps. A sign tells me the brightly-colored room to my right had opened at midnight and will most likely stay open for awhile. I heed the written words and slowly open the glass doors, into the room.

A shop. That is what. There are three booths; one to the front, one to the left; one to the right. The one in the middle contains assortments of numerous letters and notes. A chubby, hearty man stands at the booth, a letter clamped within his palms. A sign directs this booth as "News." The one to the left has stocks of goods kept in many long shelves. A tall, thin lady works there, holding small golden coins. G, our currency. I assume this is the actual shopping area. And the booth to the right has shelves of... masks. Rubber folds of vibrant colors to hide faces. A short, stocky woman stands there. Her face is concealed with a rainbow, expressionless mask.

I take to the middle, where the baffled man awaits. He has stick-like brown hair, and dons a beige apron. A tacky sweater is rolled up to his hairy elbows. The man sizes me up, slowly nodding. "Heay, ya!" He calls out. A shaky, pale finger rises for me to point at myself. "Yah. Ya look broke. Can ya help a shop-mahn out?" The words slightly sting; I brush them back and quickly nod. "Good. There's a package ova there," The man points to a box next to his booth. "Ah'm busee here. Can ya go an sort those ta the shop lady there? She'll reward ya nice," I slowly nod, and lean over the box. Inside are fossils. Many different heads, arms, spiky oval-shaped pieces, and long curve-like structures I think are legs. "Ohp, may wahnt thaht," A large book plops to the ground near me. The cover reads "Vivosaur fossils". I hold back depression and flip open to the first page. Pictures.

My fingers slip into the box, pulling out a rigged head. It has a small beak and wide eye sockets. I start to flip each page of the heavy, thick book. Each paper reads a vivosaur name, and shows pictures for the fossils. Each fossil is white and elegantly curved to shape the vivosaur into the fully-fledged beast. If only the book contained pictures or sketches of the live creatures.

I softly turn page after page until a small, beaked creature appears on the paper. "Nasaur" The book reads. I compare the two skulls and sigh. This had taken not too long. If I keep going at this pace, it could be well after noon tomorrow before I finish. I grab my small drill and lightly push in the words "Nasaur- head," near the top and place the fossil near the box. I give a shaky smile and take out the latest bone.

I fall into a laborious pattern. Tug out a bone; identify type; search pages; label. The task is long, but I feel that giving help is the one aspect I can do. Who else would help a shop man label fossil pieces? I know Todd would not. With my loss for words, I drill another name inside a spiky, oval-shaped piece. I know know it is called a body piece. Ribs, usually.

The surroundings are hazy. I feel bumpy, thick bone under my fingers. I see the dull white of the vivosaur remains. A small, lumpy face, long rows of sharp teeth; pointed toes; spiked, awkward shapes. I drill tiny letters into the base of a foot. Slowly lift the soft, old paper to turn a page. Run through rows and rows of old bone. Every once in awhile, the welcoming voice of Torn greets me, cheering me on and hurrying me to finish so he can battle others. I numbly place a long, thin claw on the ground.

I can see lines of yellow beams flow into the room. I blearily check the box. Stacks and stacks of bones. I rub at my sore eyes and grasp a recognizable foot. One without a slice through. I give a small smile and drill "Tricera- arm" easily. The bone is pushed with the other lines of labeled pieces. Voices around me. People moving; buying, selling. I drone out the sounds and work. Once I finish, I may have some money, which I will need in order to move on as a fighter. No money means being a sore loser when failing at a fossil battle. No money means looked down upon. And it means my sonar cannot be upgraded- vital in finding fossils.

"Dina?" A voice. I hear it, but feel clueless to the owner. Cannot remember. At a short loss. "It's me, Rupert. Would you want any help?" I feel my cheeks grow warm at the thought of help. His voice comes back to me: cool, considerate. I recall him now. To answer, I softly shake my head no. Do not need help. Go away. "Oh come on. That's a lot of fossils!" Tenacious. He will not give up easily. I sigh and nod slightly.

I blink, and turn to my left. The boy with the white hair leans down beside me, a second drill clasped within his palm. I cannot help but wonder why he wants to help. It is early. Most people do not use mornings like this. It is wasting the time of peace. But he pulls a clean fossil from the stack and quietly flips a page to the book. Slowly, I take a new piece of bone and skim the pages as he flips. We work together, slowly diminishing the towering pile of bone. It amazes me how well Rupert had caught on.

I feel for a new bone, but my hand touches air only. I let a small smile break out. Done. Slowly, we scoop the fossils and place them in the box. We had not taken as long as I had previously predicted. Now we can claim the reward- Rupert will not weasel out, after the work he had helped with.

I walk after Rupert's deep red coat tails, long enough to trip me if I am not careful. The lady at the actual shop booth has short, light blue hair. She also wears a pale yellow blouse and plaid skirt. She smiles down at us. "Thank you, kid! Thank you, sir!" Her voice is lush and kind. I am no child! My clothes or something are confusing her. "...Sorry, ma'am. Well, the reward is that I'll teach you two some secret skills to digging up fossils," I notice his pale nose wrinkle in mild disgust in front of me and wish I had not let him help. "There's dark fossils, colored fossils, and team skill moves, but I'll teach later. Have to wait until some peaceful, rare moment. I'll call you on your message part of your sonars when I'm ready. Bye!"

I place the fossils on the desk and walk after Rupert, into the Ribular Town center. It is nice that he is nearly my height, and not too much taller or shorter. He slows down to match my pace as we near the bubbling fountains. "Well, I was wondering if you would like to join me at Treasure Lake later," He murmurs, his yellow eyes ablaze. "Mornings are my favorite time of day.."

I would prefer myself being silent and listening, but Rupert pauses, wanting to heat my thought. "I would like to," I respond quietly, attempting to let my pale roommate hear me. By the look on his face, I have spoken loud enough. "I did not know someone else enjoyed mornings to," I give a small smile.

Before I can hear a response, a louder, more childish voice erupts from beside me. "Dina! Your roommate _is _Rupert?" Todd. I can already see his beige hat fly off his head as he rushes towards me. "_The _Rupert Oyasuminasai? He's a child prodigy!" I feel Rupert stiffen beside me.

"You are a _prodigy?_" I whisper. I do not feel curious, only wondering aloud. "...In what?" The stiffen Rupert has is released, and he sighs, sounding relieved. I glance at his pale face and burning yellow eyes, confused.

"It is nothing," Rupert shrugs. He takes one glance at Todd and his running. "I guess I should go. Don't wish to be a bother to you," I watch him walk ahead of me, too fast for me to hope catching up. To the pathway on Treasure Lake. I feel his presence gone. And await Todd.

_That was awkward, no? _Trikko laughs in his doubting tone. He raises his pale-and-blue-striped head in triumphalism from his medal.

******Me: Yay! Rich boy Rupert has joined the fray! :P And do you wanna know why I used his last name to mean "Good Night" in Japan?**

******...NOT TELLIN YA! Read for yourself and find out! ^ ^**


	4. Chapter 4: Ignore Me

**Me: Nobody scream at me this is overdue. I've been having a tough time keeping up with my stories over break thanks to... stuff. **

**Dina: What stuff?**

**Me: o.o Nothin'..**

**Todd: Dina don't ask. She'll ruin your youth. ;-;**

**Me: -_- Gee, great to see you Todd. Well wasn't this an awkward meeting.**

The Alone Champion

Chapter 4: Ignore Me

My eyes wander through the crowds of colorful people, but I can not spot the pale sir or his rich, red jacket. Where he has disappeared to I can only wish to know or remember. If only he had waited for my own consulting to this matter, for I had wanted him to stay. But now I will have to wait until tonight, or even longer, until I can see the intriguing Rupert Oyasumonasai again. I still quiver from his sharp, yellow gaze.

But those thoughts are forced into the soft winds of Ribular Island as a loud, excited voice erupts into my ears. "Dina! Dina let's go fossil digging!" The beige hat tipped loftily on his head, a tan face and wandering brown eyes seemingly close in on me. I watch as Todd nears my face. "Come _**on!**_ Let's go before all the good fossil-digging areas are all taken up!" The boisterous boy shouts in my narrow face.

"What digging areas..?" I start to question, but my friend has already taken the open path to the diagonal side and started to disappear along its tile road. This means I will have to follow him before he has taken to one of these digging areas and pushed any doubts for my welfare aside.

Pale, bare feet against stone. The chips and chips of rock scrape at my open skin, thrumming with a hollow feel. It throbs uncomfortably, but nothing I should worry about. I have to find a runaway child or face the obstacles of being alone in this fair-sized town. I believe my choice is to find him.

After a brisk trot over pale stone, I have breached the pathway Todd was on mere seconds ago. I warily close my eyes. For a moment I simply stand in the middle of the narrow path, thinking. Soon enough later I open and run further out, bracing myself for the impact of sudden, sharp pinpricks of a stone's rough edge.

Yet the "Treasure Lake" I have been expecting is not a barren spot of rich grass and the trademark lake, shallow enough to stand in and too small to be an actual lake. But the whole scene is covered by people; contestants, most likely. There are quite a few to this mob. And deep inside the confines of this clump of people is a small ring of space. And a young male, about my age, with white hair barely reaching the ends of his face and small, strikingly yellow eyes. He smirks at the people.

"Huff... puff," A voice behind me. "Hey... Dina..." I already know it is Todd; who else do I know that is not swarmed in the human mob? "So... I heard... he's super famous... Rupert... Wow," **Thunk. **My eyes jolt open at the new sound; a loud crash onto the grass. My brown eyes warily trace a wobbly path behind me. Leading towards a panting, green-clothed figure in the soil. His face is red and breathless from running. That Todd. He should be more careful, else this amount of energy could do more than only slap him onto the dirt. That would not be the greatest outcome.

While that mob of people creates a loud fuss over something in numerous voices, I keep my back to the crowd and start to yank my foster brother upwards with his tan, skinny arm. Surprisingly, Todd is actually hard to lift. His smallish frame gives the look of a light, underweight boy, but I must have been wrong. I keep tugging on Todd, slowly pulling him upwards.

"Hey what's that!" The weight I am attempting to lift gives away and Todd jumps up next to me, his beige cap flying backwards from his head, revealing a nest of brown, scraggly hair. He has to bend over and grasp the cap, but gets back up to me only seconds later. It makes me feel like energy was wasted in my lifting.

"Dina look already!" I slowly glance up from the ground and stare at Todd, the freckles on his tan face sticking out easily. "See?" His right hand -the one covered by his black glove- strikes sideways to point at the now-scattering people, with a white-haired boy still standing in around the middle of the clusters.

"Come on! Let's go do that!" The childish boy squeals, running towards the red-clothed boy. I get a bad feeling from disturbing the proper-looking character, but it seems that Todd will, with or without my help. And I rather would be causing a ruckus with him than alone.

Once I join the two males, Rupert is speaking. "What would you possibly want?" He grumbles with a chillingly cold voice, ignoring me. "Why must you bother me? I have more important activities to attend, none including a mere scuffle with but a child," Rupert stares seemingly through Todd and his smallish frame with those striking yellow eyes. Such a bright yellow.

"I told you already!" I wince from the sudden outburst. "We're gonna battle, and that's final! Right Dina?" Suddenly uncomfortable, I glance between the bickering boys without a response. "..She said yes! Yeah, her quietness means yes!" It does? Since when had this been in effect?

"Of course it does," Rupert scoffs at my tan foster brother, still ignoring me. "Yeah.. no. I don't fight with people just because they demand it. Good day to you," With that, Rupert turns around and starts to walk away, his brown boots clomping in an unresistingly motion of loud stomps.

"No! No you can't do this!" I nearly get blown back when Todd waves his arms around in many different swerves. "I'm coming for you!" Todd dashes for the boy and his flashing red cape, his own lime green jumpsuit not doing much to blend in with the scenery. I should possibly chasing them down this hill area and towards the Treasure "Lake," but instead pull out my circular device and unstrap my plain, black pickaxe.

Touching the smooth disc starts a quiet _ping. _That bright blue line accumulates the disc's blank area, running over open space and popping-up green dots. Fossils. I position my pickaxe, the slim and curved metal on top of the stick swerving from my shaking hands. But I get myself about two steps foreword, and clunk the metal onto dirt.

Brown particles fly up from impact, yet I am not done yet. Nor should I be soon. I crawl onto my knees, my pale hands still tugging onto the stick of the pickaxe. Dirt shuffles and gives in under the weight. Soon it is time again to cut into the earth with my metal.

In repetition to last time, I precariously lift the stick out of the ground. The curved metal on top has gathered a layer of dirt. I ignore this and steadily hoist the pickaxe above my head for the second time. My fingers clasp around the rough stick, but swinging the metal onto the ground still are off by a small portion. The rattling _CLUNK _that follows jitters up my body. But a small peek down the dank hole proves my thought. A good-sized, crumbly rock lay awaiting on the inside.

_Hey Dina! _After a slight hesitation, the adventurous and fond voice of my red reptile echoes within the confines of my mind. _Dina! _Torn squeaks, louder and sharper this time.

I eventually rest the pickaxe onto the dirt, flinching as its metal top clashes with the fossil deep in the hole. _Yes, Torn? _I respond slowly, not sure about what the vivosaur could want after his quiet moments this morning. It is weird to not hear his interruptions so often.

The red quadrupled takes his time in thinking. I can nearly hear his steady breathing. _Are there any fossil fighters out there? I kinda learned that if I'm not careful, other not-Dina people will hear my thoughts. So... _He pauses dramatically. The feeling hangs in the air for another moment.

_What do you think, fatso? _The nosy creature grumbles in his usual deep voice of doubt. I can already imagine his sunken, yellow eyes and pale stripe dully tracing up the middle of him.

I bite my lip worriedly. The two vivosaurs can not get along, to say the least. It could take a long stretch of time before they agree on something. _Trikko, Torn; yes, we are alone. And if my eyes are not wrong, then Torn is not a fat dimetro... Trikko, _I choose my words carefully, but already know my tricera will find a way to be offended.

I am correct. _So you don't trust my peculiar judgment? _Trikko glowers. His eyes are most likely twitching in utter spite at the thought of being wrong.

For the moment, silence covers me. The bickering males are silent, possibly waiting for the answer Trikko requested. But I do not wish to give him another topic to disagree upon. As the peace draws on, I cup my fingers and reach down into the nearly-forgotten hole in front. My pale skin brushes against slightly moist dirt, but I ignore the odd feeling until I can grasp crumbly, brown rock. Slowly, my clamped fingers drag a moldy brown rock from the earth and stare at its dark surface.

_Lady! Please! Just put it in your fossil case already! _Trikko harshly shouts. He does not sound that happy. Why is he acting this rude? I may never understand this water vivosaur. Oh well.

After accurately placing my new fossil within the fossil case Trikko has suggested, I curl my palish fingers around the stick of the pickaxe and continue around the small field of Treasure Lake. Walking around the higher ground has told me that going through that path Todd and Rupert disappeared on will lead me down to the actual "Lake" area, with the shallow waters, sandy pit and vegetation surrounding. It is a pretty sight.

The disc cupped in my left palm suddenly beeps loudly. My eyes flit to the smooth surface. As I had thought. Small, green _pings _of color dot the dark surface. Since my sonar is quite small, I do not have many options for digging. Two flank the left, now near the entrance from the angle I face. In response, I do switch my path and come closer towards the green, glowing pinpricks to the side. I level the stick of the pickaxe in my hands, readying movements.

Thudding the metal blade of the pickaxe is not too bad, yet I still mess up my movements in wobbly differences. But I have unearthed the two, crumbly rocks without too much of a problem. Once I store the new fossil additions to my bag, the metal blade can be strapped onto my back again. Bare feet rubbing against dewy grass and soft soil, I can take that path further out and to the left. At the moment, my back faces the entrance again, like how I came in. And the pathway I am taking is further out left, nearly hidden by its downward sloping trail to the ground. I run through the higher-elevation area and turn a left, leading out into the trail.

I cautiously step onto the damp sand, shivering as the cold wetness seeps through my bare toes. It is quite cold in this noon sun. It is possible that the shadows of nearby shrubs and tall palm trees are covering this sand. This is not exactly helping me.

Giving up on the cold surface, I thrust my sonar in front of me and lightly tap the blank surface. As expected, the green line circles around the sonar's area, gathering notice of anything rocky. The first noise detects a rock straight in front of me. Others sound, and sit on the edges of my small screen, possibly three or maybe only two steps outwards. The green bits blink hazily at me, awaiting to be dug out.

My fingers tug on the stick of the metal tool on my back. Once I am holding onto the pickaxe, I can start to aim the target in front of me. _Thud. _The curved, metal end nestles into soft sand, but holds itself quickly. I can stoop low and unearth the latest fossil of my keeping. Scooping out a smooth piece of pale stone confuses me. Every fossil I have found is crumbly and a musty brown, usually the scent of dirt available. As noticed before, this is not musty and crumbly, but a smooth stone, cream colored. And it smells like fresh water, if anything. Not the most expected of a fossil, but I pocket the weird rock anyways. Maybe it is a rare fossil!

I get back onto my feet and cringe again at the cool sand. But that could be better than hot sand, which would burn the skin on my feet and possibly start a chain of blisters. To say nonetheless, I will act optimistic and be grateful for cool sand. Ah, the powers of common sense.

Reaching out to glimpse my small, circular sonar, I can see a few people walking around the area of Treasure Lake and holding pickaxes like my own. Sometimes a person will stoop down and dig up a fossil rock from the ground. The fighters seem to be a bit more experienced than me; some have incredibly large and heavy sonars having to be carried around like a sort of necklace or chain while colorful, new buzzers and buttons line the sides of the surface. Most of the discs I notice are upgraded, I guess. That lady said she would upgrade my own later. Is that what it shall appear as?

Abruptly ignoring the larger, more colorful sonars, my fingers rattle onto my own dingy sonar and the smooth surface it holds. A few of the other fossils I had seen earlier have blanked out, so they must have been dug out. In the black circumference though, one final fossil angrily bulges out at me in the green print it usually carries.

I quickly make my way towards its blinking source, about two steps towards the right of me. I shove the dusty tip of the metal into the sand again. I use the stick to direct the metal of the pickaxe around in the hole, smoothing out an opening. Once the hole is secure, I duck into more sandy particles and reach for my fourth fossil.

Everything is closed up and locked into place. I am ready to move on, sonar in hand. My pickaxe is strapped to my back, and the crumbled fossil was placed within my bag. I am ready to go on.

Before I can take as much as a step, hushed voices make my way. A person whispers something similar to "Look at that newbie! Getting Rupert to fight him?" More voices, and the person counters with a "Gnarly." My heart beats further. A feeling inside tells me exactly which newbie is fighting my roommate, who seems to be rich, if I am correct. This newbie wears a bright green jumpsuit and unstable beige cap.

Other voices join the first I had heard, each owning a conversation about this battle. A sudden feel of sympathy clouds me. I cannot relate to Rupert literally, but I know that I have been the center of attention before. The thought of it is embarrassing. I do not enjoy being stared at by other people as if I am a new topic for chit-chat or other speakings. And if the white-haired boy with the red robes actually is a prodigy in fossil fighting at this age, he must gather attention. All the more reason to stop Todd from battling him.

The problem is, where could two males fossil battle? In front of me is the "lake," with soft blue, rippling waves and an island of sorts in the middle, containing a small space within a vivosaur head. Glimpsing at it closely tells me that there is a large vivosaur skull resting in the space. I am not sure what kind, but the creature has a large head and long, sharp teeth. I get the idea this mighty animal is a carnivore.

From my surroundings, I can tell easily where the fossil battle most likely would take place. Saying that neither Rupert nor Todd have ran past me to traverse up the nearby hill leading out of Treasure Lake, they have to be in a more hidden location I cannot see at the moment and down here. Therefore, the males should be somewhere behind that largely sized vivosaur head bone. Although it is possible they are hidden within the confines of bushes or trees, that space is small and a bit hard to get through, especially in a battle.

The water sits in front of me, slightly stirred in tiny, foamy waves. The good news is that I have no shoes to get soiled in the wet space. But the bad news is that my feet will be sopping wet and possibly shivering cool after this walk. I squint my brown eyes and take in a breath. Brush out strands of orange hair and smile. This should be interesting.

My feet have to stand on their tips in order to refrain from slipping on splashy, wet rocks. The heels of my soles cramp uncomfortably. To make matters worse, falling soaks me. _I swear Dina, if you fall, this fire type is going to murder you. I hate water! _To make matters worse, Torn is threatening to murder me if I get him wet. But I am able to set aside my disappointments and take in this malarkey. The walk is almost over! Yet this never had to happen if Todd simply stopped running into others and bolting off like just now. Sometimes, I wonder who is the actual older one.

The cramp subsides as cool sand sticks to my wet toes. Already with the soothing wash of waves out of my ears, bickering is heard. But I can tell that this battle being planned has not gotten the details chosen out yet. Deciding to act unnoticed again, I peek out from the right side of the vivosaur skull to watch the males bicker, trusting there will be no feud.

"I do _not _want to battle you!" I can easily detect a harsh, icy voice, belonging to Rupert. He does not like Todd, it appears. Most likely wishes to be left alone. But I know that if Todd wants something, he gets it. "The only reason I am is to break your childish spirit!" There is something new. But it seems that my foster brother has succeeded.

"Hooray!" Todd squeals. I finally work over the nerve to stare, and peek out at the two beings. Nearly straight in front of me is a mess of curly brown hair kept under a beige cap. His light green jumpsuit flashes in my eyes. This must be Todd. I strain my eyes to see further out. And as I had suspected, not even feet away is the white-haired boy himself. His red jacket is neatly tied on, the coattails shining. Rupert glares through Todd and his brown eyes with his own piercing yellow. I shiver at the thought of them staring at me. But they have not. Yet, at least.

Suddenly, powdery sand flies into my perched face as medals erupt into life. Todd has to take a few steps back and a tumble, his green-striped shoes partly sinking and slipping. I watch with mild interest as some figures grow to size. The first one is close to my face, the snout of it large and brown. It contains many large teeth. The vivosaur also has a whole brown body. It is bipedal, contains a few golden horns, and two red stripes on the back. As the vivosaur grows, the snout soon towers above me. _Raja will win! _A burly voice enters my mind. Raja must be the large, brown vivosaur. And by the looks of it, he is an earth type.

The final medal -appearing aqua in the coolly glittering sunlight- lands further out from me. It slowly expands into another huge, bipedal creature. This one has large, awkward, black horns sticking out of a gray head. It has strange, bloodred teeth and a camouflaged sort of hide, mixed with black and gray. _Mapo... _The massive monster grumbles lowly. His voice is deep-toned, and sends a shiver down my spine. I turn my direction to the brown earth type Raja, deciding I like him better.

"Woo-hoo! Use your spikes, Gren!" Todd commands his stego. Out of the corners of my eyes, I can see red spikes start to clash together, and a wall of green running towards Rupert's vivosaurs.

_I've got this... _The female stego whispers. _I've got this... _Her small, oval-shaped head swerves to the side, steering her spikes and body towards the earth type closer to me. _Yes! _Her excited screech splits into the air until her green body plummets into soil and waters. _Wait, what? _ The quadrupled vivosaur attempts to reach out of her tight position. _Aw, I missed Raja! _Gren squeaks unhappily.

Soon enough, her voice rattles out in a painful matter. There are thick, white teeth encased into her short, green neck. Gren squeaks as the brown, bipedal body tugs her by the delicate throat. I wince in sympathy towards the small, green female as her tail wags in struggle. I already know what will happen. Moments later, and Gren falls into her air type medal, lined in a green coating. I close my eyes, not wanting to see anything else. And start to walk away from the scene. _Thud. _The sound of me tripping over a dune of damp sand. "Dina?" Oops.

I sigh, reopening my brown eyes. My shaky fingers reach onto the sticking sand, pulling me back up. Slowly, my eyes wander over the two boys again. Todd is already by my side. I can see him beside me, smiling oafishly. His warm brown eyes twinkle. He knew I would watch. Nor did he doubt it. On the other hand, I am afraid to see what Rupert will think. So far, he has not acknowledged me. Which I guess is a good sign.

"How would you rate the fight?" Todd squeaks, his naïve voice demanding answers. I shrug softly. Unsure, exactly. I turn around and smile slightly at Todd. He may be able to sense my discomfort.

"Rate the fight?" Rupert mutters from the other side. "What? Have I not destroyed your hopes of winning at all? Yes; no? You still think you will make it through the first round?" I get the feeling these stinging words are not meant for me. As if Rupert is intentionally blocking me.

"You will never destroy me! Ha!" Todd is laughing freely now, the beige cap falling off of his tan head again. I stoop over slightly to pick it up for him.

Rupert sighs from behind. "Rookie, don't you know the types? First of all, your stego is an air type, so it is weak against earth and beats water. Next off, water beats fire. Then fire beats earth. And earth beats you. And neutral types cannot be hit hard, nor hit others easily. Hitting Mapo would help you. Also, your stego is a mid-range vivosaur. It does better near the back and attacking others near the front, possibly like my Mapo. And support effects would benefit you further back if you had an attack-range vivosaur in the front."

I decide to take extra-long in retrieving the beige hat. "So I should attack further back and at water types, or did you say for me to fight fire types and never hold back?" Todd must appear confused.

A final noise comes from my roommate. A snort, of annoyance, most likely. For a moment, I can feel the yellow, burning gaze of Rupert brush over me, until harshly glaring at Todd again. The cap in my hands, I place it over Todd and his curly brown hair. "Idiocy,"

Rupert must have just shouldered past Todd. For a mere moment, his palish head nods towards me as I look up from the sand, soil and water. "Hello, Dina," And he is gone within another fleeting moment. It frustrates me to know that he keeps disappearing from me. Why does he act in such a way?

"Come on, Dina," Todd smiles at me unsteadily. "Let's go clean some fossils,"

…...

The two of us make slight haste, sitting next to each other on our knees in the green Cleaning Room of Ribular Island. It is quiet and peaceful in the confines of the green walls, the constant buzzing of drills echoing throughout the room. I dust a small particle off of a pearly white bone.

It is in the shape of small fingers, reaching outwards. Yet as I drill onto the other arm with my dull, silver-colored tool, other bones suggest the other pair clamped together. As if wanting to hold on for something. The arms appear intriguing because they have bones sticking far out from the joints. I am guessing this vivosaur has wings. The possibility seems reasonable, at least.

Next to me, Todd adjusts the stick in his tan fingers. The stick leading to a mallet. He is going to start and pound his second fossil. I believe the first was a strange-looking hand. It is small, yet gnarled and powerful. Todd says he found it inside the fossil creature, buried.

I clamp onto my finished arms of a creature, ready to place it within the Revival Machine. Eager to find out this new vivosaur. But something hot buzzes within my blue pockets. It burns like a fire, but also vibrates fiercely. Stinging pain. I squeak loud.

A series of beeps. **Welcome to everyone joining the Caliosteo Cup! **Harder vibrating, a man and western accent... Joe? Buzzings.. **Us staff have our socks knotted here. We've got quite some work to set up, ye-see? Besides that, we got us some time before Round One of the Caliosteo Cup is in full swing! This begin will start in a week or so. See y'all then, pardners! **Buzz stops. Heat reduces. Less burn. No scream.

**To Dina: Your Round One opponent will be Todd Hurican.**

…...

**I owe you all an apology. This has taken me you know.. FOREVER because of stuff. And this stuff makes updates limited. But once I eliminate this stuff, which should take... a few good weeks, updates are happiness and fast. Anyways...**

**Yep. I just did that. Okay, more like those owning up to my disclaimer did, but SAME THING! Haha. Because I still did. **

**So now we've got round one scheduled to start in about a week. I thought that time was a bit reasonable. It shall change later, as everything starts. But now Dina must fight Todd! ^ ^ **

**Yaaaay Gren verses Torn! I guess I shall see you then! **


End file.
